1. Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to information handling systems (IHS), and more particular to a dual use casing that protects compute components of an IHS and serves as a shipping container for the IHS.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continue to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems (IHSs). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes, thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems typically include a number of compute components that are placed on a chassis. The chassis is then inserted and/or affixed within an exterior casing that is typically made of sheet metal formed to hold the chassis and other components of the information handling system. With both server IHSes and personal compute system, customers frequently order the units from the manufacturer or distributor or retailer, and the units are shipped to the end customer via a shipping service (e.g., US mail or United Postal Service, or FedEx). Shipment of these IHSes involves packaging the units in a shipping container, such as a cardboard box or crate. To allow for shipping of these units to the end customers, the manufacturer and/or distributor of the IHSes thus have to package the manufactured IHSes, complete with computer modules, chassis and exterior casing, into shippable containers and then ship the packaged complete IHSes to the retailer or end customer. The retailer or end customer may also package the received package for further shipment to another location, adding another layer of shipping container/packaging around the IHS. Once received by the final end customer, that customer then has to unpack the unit and discard the one or more packing container/s.
With end customers that maintain large scale server farms and who require a large number of these IHSes that are rack-mounted and/or plugged into these server farms in a closed environment, the amount of packaging waste generated can be substantial. Also, these end customers requiring large scale deployment of server IHSes do not really care about the packaging of the servers, as the servers are viewed simply as modular compute units for insertion into the large server farm that is typically hidden away behind or within an IT infrastructure.